June Mar Fajardo gears up for matchup with Bol Bol in PBA

The coming PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup isn’t just about another title chase, it’s shaping up to be a showcase of size, skill, and supremacy in the paint.

With the league scrapping height restrictions for imports on the upcoming conference, the spotlight immediately shifts to a looming collision between two towering figures. The nine-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo and TNT’s new reinforcement, 7-foot-3 Bol Bol.

For years, Fajardo has stood as the PBA’s most imposing presence. At 6-foot-10, he has built a dynasty with San Miguel, collecting championships, a record 13 Best Player of the Conference awards, and Finals MVP trophies. 

But the arrival of Bol Bol the 26-year-old son of late NBA veteran Manute Bol presents a different kind of challenge.

“Maraming papahirapan yung import na yun. Di lang kami. Buong liga siguro mahihirapan sa kaniya,” Fajardo said.

TNT, the defending champion, doubled down on its bid to repeat by tapping Bol Bol. The Tropang 5G are widely viewed as the team to beat, and his combination of length, mobility, and NBA seasoning only strengthens that perception.

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Simula na ang aksyon sa PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup ngayong March 11! Ihanda ang sarili sa mas matitinding banggaan at mas solid na laban sa pagbubukas ng conference.

Watch it LIVE via the Pilipinas Live app! Also available on One Sports YouTube, PBA Rush, & RPTV.#PBA50 pic.twitter.com/uIZSU5zuEx

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) February 25, 2026

The former 44th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft last suited up in the league in April 2025 with the Phoenix Suns. He also had stints with Denver and Orlando. Flashes of the versatile skill set that made him one of basketball’s most intriguing long-limbed prospects.

Yet for all the buzz surrounding Bol Bol, Fajardo remains steady and views the matchup as fuel.

“Hahanapan ng paraan yun para ma-stop siya,” the 36-year-old Cebuano said.

Fajardo knows that containing TNT won’t rest on a single player’s shoulders. While the much-anticipated showdown between towering big men is bound to draw attention.

To strengthen its title defense in Season 50, San Miguel, the PBA’s winningest franchise tapped the 6-foot-11 Marcus Lee as its import for the upcoming conference.

Lee brings solid credentials to the Beermen as he played collegiate basketball at the University of Kentucky before transferring to the University of California, and went on to build a lengthy professional career overseas after going undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft.

He now joins a San Miguel squad riding high from its championship triumph in the season-opening Philippine Cup, aiming to help the team secure a back-to-back title.

Fresh off another dominant campaign capped by a record fifth Finals MVP, Fajardo enters the mid-season conference not defending his stature, but reinforcing it. At 36, he remains the standard by which PBA big men are measured.

The Commissioner’s Cup, it seems won’t just test who stands tallest, but who stands strongest when giants collide.

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